


The group finally talks about their problems

by TheDragonKat



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Cults, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Varian and the Seven Kingdoms - Kaitlyn Ritter & Anna Lencioni, No Beta, Some angest, Varian and the Seven Kingdoms AU, the hugo/varain is not directly said but it is heavely implied, the very end is a little rushed, varian and the seven kingdoms - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24576298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDragonKat/pseuds/TheDragonKat
Summary: This was an idea from discord. So we talked about how rumors of what Varain did got out of Corona but no one knows who did it. It gets so crazy that it is believe a cult did it. Nuru blames Hugo for it but he is not part of it. Later they find a cult was made because of the rumors and that Donella was funding it. She does not know how bad things were with the cult but it came to a shock to Hugo since she never told him. Nuru goes back to blaming Hugo until Varain told everyone that he was the one who did everything.  There are some moments that can be shipy toward Varain and Hugo but it is not explicit.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 43





	The group finally talks about their problems

**Author's Note:**

> There are a lot of headcanons here. One was another idea I got from discord. It was Donella is not an evil villain. She does care for Hugo but she has a hard time showing it. She also cares for Varain a bit since he is Ulla's son. She only wants to stop the group so they do not get hurt by Ulla. I gave Nuru a staff to use as a weapon and Yong a dagger since there would be time where explosions are a bad idea. I am bad at grammar and keeping tenses the same so I am really sorry about that. I hope you can still enjoy my story.

When Varian first left Corona for his adventure, the only thing we knew for certain was no one will know of his past. At least that is what he thought until he ended up hearing some rumors that hit too close to home. It first was whispers of the attack on Corona but Varian assumed that was about Cassandra and not him. The huge black rock tower she made was hard to hide. It was not until Nuru joined the group that he found out more about the rumors. 

She was talking about some crazy rumors she heard to the group. It was dinner time, so they were all eating around the fire. 

“This one has been around for a few years. There is a rumor that there was an attack on Corona. The queen was captured and was almost killed” Nuru started the rumor.

Varian froze when he heard that. Lucky, Hugo and Yong did not notice since they were enjoying listening to some rumors. 

“Yeah and a year later, the person who did it break out of jail and almost took control of the kingdom. People say he could alter people’s memories.” she finished. 

‘What! That information got out of Corona. The king mentioned how he did not want the other kingdoms to find out about that, so he has kept it on the down low’ Varian thinks as he puts his food down. Ruddiger noticed his human’s distress so hoped onto Varian’s lap for comfort.

“So, any idea on who did it?” Yong questioned.

“Not really. Some say a boy, others a man, a soldier all the way up to a cult.” Nuru answered. She sent some suspicious looks towards Hugo.

“Hey why are you looking at me? I may not like nobles, but I have never kidnapped a Queen. “Hugo sounded offended as he glared at Nuru.

“Well I heard whoever did all of that did alchemy. And you like to boast about how good you are at alchemy. “Nuru lashed out at him. This led into a full-blown argument.

“Um well the food was good. I am going to do some alchemy stuff.” Varian stated as he got up. Ruddiger moved onto his shoulder. Varian quickly made his way far from the group. He could still hear them, but he could not see them. Normally this would be suspicious but Nuru and Hugo were too busy arguing to notice. Yong just thought Varian could not stand fighting so did not bother to question it.

“That has to be about me buddy. They do not know it is me, but my actions have gotten out of Corona. “Varian whispered to Ruddiger as he slid down a tree. “I hate that Hugo is being blamed for this but there is no way I can say how I would know he did not do it. I would have to reveal that I was the one who did it. I do not want that to be how Nuru knows me by. Plus, she would hate me. She is a royal and I attacked a royal. She would fear me doing the same to her” he cries as he breathes faster. “Sundrop. They will all hate me. Yong sees me as a mentor for him. Why would he want me to mentor him when he finds out what I did? I know Hugo has a past, but our crimes are on different levels. “he rambles pulling on his hair. Ruddiger nuzzles Varian’s cheek into an attempt to calm him. “Thanks buddy. I know I can count on you to stick by me.” he says letting out a deep breath “Maybe I can get them to know me more. This way they can see how much I changed. Yeah that might work” he mumbled to himself. Soon he heard footsteps coming towards him.

“Hey Varian. Where did you go?” Hugo shouted as he looked for Varian. Varian jumped up and started to step up his things for alchemy.

“I am over here. I am just setting up my stuff” Varian calls out trying to stay calm. Hugo heads over to where you heard him.

“Cool. You picked a good spot. Hope you do not mind me helping.” Hugo said as he brought out some of his own stuff. “I need something to do after that fight with Nuru. You sure we have to keep her” he whined.

“Yes. We keep her. I know things will be tough but please try to make things work” Varian looks at Hugo pleading.

“Oh no need to bat those baby blue eyes of yours. I will try but I will not sit back and allow her to falsely accuse me of things I did not do. I will admit I am a thief, but I will not stand for being accused of things I did not do. I do not know if you heard but she thinks I am part of the cult now. “he yelled frustrated. 

“I understand. But I am sure once she sees you helping the group, she will stop accusing you of things” Varian smiled as he tried to calm Hugo  
.  
“I hope you are right freckles or otherwise this will be a long journey.” Hugo sighs as he grabs some chemicals. “Now let's get to alchemy. We were able to get some new chemicals back when we picked up the princess, so we can experiment a bit. Oh, and make some more of those sticking bombs. They have really saved us.” Hugo exclaimed. Varian nodded with a smile as he got to work. They had their little quips here and there, but they really found a rhythm for working together. 

Some time passed and the rumor thing died down in the group. Nuru still had some doubts but was more open to trusting Hugo. Varian finally thought the whole thing could be behind him but unfortunately something came up that ignited old fights. In one of the towns they were staying out, there were posters up about a cult based on the rumor. The group were shocked to find out the cult was real and Nuru looked at Hugo. 

“Guys let's not fight about this in public” Yong pleaded as he saw the look and knew a fight was about to start. He was in luck that Nuru decided to keep quiet since she did not want the town to be suspicious of their group. 

“Fine but we are talking about this later” Nuru huffed as she walked away. Hugo just growled and stormed off. Varian was just frozen in fear over what he learned. He could not believe it but what person would make up a cult for a joke. Yong noticed Varian frozen.

“Hey Varian. No need to be scared. I know you hate Nuru and Hugo fighting but they went off in their own directions. Maybe they will cool off and won’t fight later” Yong reassured Varian ‘I really doubt they will forget but need to calm Varian down. He has helped me so much, so I have to return the favor.’ he thinks as he rubs Varian’s back in comfort.

Varian snaps out of his frozen state “Yeah maybe they will. “he breathes shakily while Ruddiger rubs his cheek.

“Oh, I know. I saw a nice little restaurant when he first came to this town. How about we go eat there? It has been awhile since we had time for just the two of us” Yong said as he grabs Varian’s hand.

“You know, you are right. It has been awhile. I think I will really enjoy that plus we do have quite a bit of money, so it won’t hurt our wallets” Varian smiles as he lets Yong drag him to the restaurant. Varian pushed the dark thoughts away for now to not worry Yong. 

After the fun afternoon the two had, they had back to the inn they were staying in. When they walked in, they saw Nuru and Hugo arguing. Lucky it was not loud so you would need to be right next to them to hear what they are saying. As Varian and Yong made their way to the other two, they were able to catch the tail end of their argument.

“-- and you are just being stubborn. You do not want to admit you are wrong” Hugo argued as he runs a hand through his hair. His left foot was tapping out of frustration. 

“I do not want Varian and Yong to be caught up in cult shenanigans. Unlike you, they are innocent. You have admitted to stealing and you have done it many times on our journey. “Nuru argued back as she crossed her arms.

“I am honest with my crimes so why would I lie about this?”

“Maybe you are waiting to sacrifice us.”

“I have helped the group so many times”

“You just need us in good shape for the sacrifice”

“Would it be easier if I just knocked you guys out and had you guys locked up”

“You are impossible”

“No, you are impossible”

“FINE” they both yell at the same time and storm off towards their rooms. They were lucky the inn had a room for each of them.

Varian was trying to not break down from what he heard. Yong and Ruddiger were trying to comfort him.

“Do not worry Varian. I am sure things will calm down soon” Yong said in a force happy tone. ‘When those two argue they really cannot see how it affects Varian.’ he thinks as he reaches out to Varian. Varian flinches away from the touch.

“How about we head to our rooms? This has been a long day. Best to get some rest” Varian interjects in a dull voice. There was still some light outside, and no one has had dinner yet, so it was still early. He starts to head towards his room. 

“Um you sure you will be okay alone right now” Yong questioned warily. He did not like that dull voice Varian had.

“I have Ruddiger, so I won’t be alone.” Varian noted as he pointed to his raccoon and went upstairs to his room.

Yong just looked down feeling useless. ‘I can’t help Varian. I can’t stop Hugo and Nuru from fighting. Do I even have a purpose on this journey? ‘he thinks as he heads towards his room. Once he got in, he went onto the bed, curled up into a ball, and started to cry. 

As soon as Varian entered his room, he closed the door, locked it, and slid down to the ground. The dark thought he pushed away before came right back up and were even worse thanks to the argument he saw.

‘It is my fault. It is my fault. I started a cult. My actions lead to this. How could anyone like me after this? Nuru will hate me for my actions, Yong won’t want me as a teacher anymore, Hugo will be pissed at the fact he got the blame. Oh my god, how I will tell everyone back at home. I have just recently gotten the citizens of Corona to like me. My actions with the red rocks did make many of them not be so afraid of me, there were still some who hated me. And people still were a little nervous around me for some time afterwards. Now all that will go away. ‘Varian panics, his breathing getting faster. ‘What if mom finds out? She hasn’t seen me since I was a toddler. What if she hates me? At least with everyone else I have some good memories of our time together. With her, I have nothing. All I remember is what I think is her singing me a lullaby. I do not remember her face, just her singing voice. ‘he cries as he curls up into a ball. Ruddiger was not getting through to his human. He keeps on offering his comfort. If Ruddiger could talk, he would be yelling at Nuru and Hugo right now.

Neither Varian nor Yong left their rooms that night. Hugo and Nuru went down to get some food but went to eat in their rooms so they would not have to see each other. Ruddiger did leave the room through a window to get some food for Varian but it was left uneaten. Varian did not move from his spot. He did end up falling asleep, but he kept waking up from nightmares. He was lucky he had made a potion that got rid of dark circles so no one could tell he was not getting any good sleep. Yong was able to sleep though he was hungry in the morning, so his breakfast was huge. Varian ate less than he usually did. Hugo did question it.

“I had a big dinner last night. Don’t worry I have some snacks in my bag for if I get hungry later” Varian responded, pulling out the food Ruddiger gave him last night. Hugo brought the answer and went back to eating. Varian was not a good liar when it came to a lot of things but the one thing, he does lie good about is how well he is doing. He is proud of this since he hates worrying people. The others back in Corona are not.

Things did not get better for the group. Tension was always high, and Varian was being slowly consumed by the dark thoughts he had. The nightmares happened every night now and he was eating less. It was only a matter of time before he broke. Yong knew something was wrong with Varian, but he did not know how bad it was since Varian was able to hide how bad he was when Nuru and Hugo weren’t fighting. Shit hit the fan when they finally ran into the cult.

The group was in a village when they heard some people were kidnapped by the cult. Varian could not just let people get hurt because of his mistakes so he offered to go find them. Hugo did not look happy, but the promise of a reward was enough to convince him. Nuru was happy to finally get some proof that Hugo was part of the cult and Yong thought it was a bad idea. But since he was the youngest and was outnumbered, he kept his opinions to himself. He did not think anyone would listen to him and he figured things could not be that bad. It might prove Hugo’s innocent.  
After following some tracks, they found where the cult was hiding, a huge cave. As the group traveled inside, they saw many paintings of what Varian did. There was a queen in chains, a guy attacking the other royals and the guy taking control of the city. Varian seemed to get paler with each painting he saw but the others just assumed it was because of the cult. Everything was okay until they ran into Donella talking with some of the cultists. It looks like she was funding them. No one saw the group until the cultists left and Donella turned around. She looked at the group in surprise. Hugo was so shocked he forgot to pretend they do not know each other. 

“Since when did you run a cult? You never told me that?” Hugo demands. The others looked at him in surprise at hearing that.

“Wait you two know each other” Nuru exclaimed angrily as she glared at Hugo. ‘I was right.’ she thinks.

“Well I did not imagine this is how they found out. Guess it cannot be helped. I am his Boss. And I am not running it. I am funding it.” Donella sighed as she rolled her eyes ‘Can’t believe he just outed himself like that. Though I guess I would be surprised if I found out my boss was funding a cult. ‘she thinks.

“SHE IS YOUR BOSS” the other three members yelled. Varian and Yong out of surprise and Nuru out of anger.

“Fine. I started as a double agent, but I swear I am not on her side anymore.” Hugo defended himself as he took a step back. Donella just walked away from the group to where Cyrus was.

“You were planning to betray us. How are we supposed to believe you!” Nuru lashed out at Hugo.

“Because why would I out myself like that then just admit to it. It would have been easier to go back to her” Hugo explains trying to defend himself. Unfortunately, Nuru was too mad to listen to reason.

“I believe him Nuru. People can change. “Varian defends Hugo as he tries to keep himself calm. He was mad about Hugo betraying them but between the guilt he felt about the cult and his own past made the anger he felt small. Plus, he felt like he did not have the right to be angry at Hugo for his actions since what he himself did was much worse.

“No need to define this criminal Varian. Once a criminal always a criminal. Plus, his boss is funding this cult. He has to be part of it.” Nuru argues stepping closer to Hugo.

“I am not part of this cult!” Hugo denies as he takes a step towards Nuru. He was so worried about his friends, not that he would call them that out loud, would hate him and the fact he just outed himself at the worst time, that he did not know how to act. Even though Varian did defend him, he was still scared. So, he goes to default emotion, anger. “She did not tell me about this.” he continued.

“Like I believe that. Just admit you are part of this cult.” Nuru growls. She wanted her friends safe and right now she saw Hugo as a danger to them. A ruler’s job is to help protect their people and while she has official rule over anyone, she did see Varian and Yong as hers to protect. She always was suspicious of Hugo, but she did seem him as someone she had to protect. Unfortunately, she knew that some citizens can harm others so as ruler she will need to take care of those traitors to protect everyone. She was hoping to not have so much responsibility when she went on this journey, but she quickly found out how much of a disaster the other three were. Varian has helped her not feel like she must take responsibility for everything and that it is okay to act her age. But she could not ignore all the princess training she got over her life so in high tension situations she would default to what she learned. 

“Stop being so stubborn. I am willing to admit to all my crimes if that is what you want but this cult has never been part of my life. I didn't even know it existed until all of you found out it was real.” Hugo shouted. The two just kept on going back and forth their voices were getting louder and louder.

While the two were arguing, Varian stumbled backwards until his back hit a wall. He dropped to his knees as he panicked. Everything was becoming too much and the way Hugo and Nuru were arguing were making it worse. Everything Nuru said about criminals did not help since he was a criminal. He may have been pardoned but as Nuru stated. Once a criminal always a criminal. That phrase just kept on repeating in his mind as tears started to fall. Nothing Ruddiger did helped Varian. He could not feel what Ruddiger was doing.

Yong tried to calm Varian again “Come on Varian. Once they calmed down, we can have a big talk. That should help” he said but it did not work. He continues to try and calm Varian down but since he did not know why Varian was freaking out, it was not working. The yelling was becoming too much for Yong, add him not being able to help Varian, soon Yong started to cry. ‘I can’t do anything to help the group. Maybe I should have explained to Nuru and Hugo about what happens to Varian when they argue. Doubt it would have stopped this but maybe Varian would not be so bad. Why am I always so useless?’ Yong thinks. He was so upset he could not speak so he could not get Hugo and Nuru to stop yelling.

Soon Varian could not take it anymore. 

“IT WAS ME” he screamed as loud as he could. The other three were so shocked and confused they turned to look at Varian in confusion. Varian started to tell about his crimes.

“I kidnapped the queen. When my plan did not work, I snapped and…. and. and tried to kill her all to just make the princess suffer. With the help of the Separatists, I got out of prison and erased the memory of the king and queen. I knew what I did was wrong, but I knew…. knew...knew that I would never be forgiven. Who would forgive someone who did that? I just wanted to be friends with everyone again. I did not know that the Separatists were planning on destroying Corona. I did not want any of this…. this...this cult.” he cries. He did not explain the whole story since he felt like he did deserve any sympathy from the others. 

The others were silent the whole time he talked. They did not know what to say. Varian did not seem the type to do any of that stuff. 

Unknown to them, Donella and Cyrus were listening from the shadows. They heard all the yelling and Donella was worried about what would happen to Hugo. She was not the motherliness figure, but she did care about Hugo. She just never knows how to show it. Both Donella and Cyrus had a look of shock on their face as well.

Nuru took a step toward Varian but he just flinched and raised his arms to protect his face like he was expecting her to hit him. She looked shocked at the action. ‘Varian. You did all of that. ‘she thinks. She was so confused on how to act. She wanted to comfort Varian but hearing about what he did made her question what she said during her fight with Hugo.

‘That was why he was so scared looking. No wonder I was not helping. I was not doing anything to help the real problem. ‘Yong thought as he looked at Varian in shock. He was a bit relieved that he wasn’t bad at comforting Varian, but he just did not know the real source of the problem. 

Hugo was now starting to believe what Varian said before. ‘If he did all of that then he must have been forgiven. No way he is on the run.’ he thinks but before anyone could speak the sound of running could be heard.

It seems the yelling match Hugo and Nuru had attracted more than just the attention of Donella and Cyrus. The cultists were running towards where the group was, and Varian was in no condition to fight or even defend himself. Ruddiger let out a hiss, ready to defend his human.

The others quickly got their weapons out. They knew they would have to talk about all of this later but knew they needed to protect Varian. Hugo also figured out why Varian was so insistent about helping. He always liked to help others, but this time felt different. 

“We have to save those kidnapped” Hugo announced as he threw some chemicals at the cultist that made them slide into a wall. 

“What? We need to get out of here. When did your heart grow?” Nuru questioned as she hit some cultist with her staff. She was willing to believe that he had no part of the cult now that she was not so angry but that does not mean his whole attitude changed. She knew he only cared about getting the group out alive.

“When I joined up with Goggles. And enough for me to care about him. You got to understand now why he wanted to do this mission. This is not his normal helping nature. If those people die because of this cult then Varian will blame himself and see their blood on his hands” Hugo answered ‘And right now he cannot handle anything more. His mind is already so damaged. I am scared that he will permanently shut down if that happens.’ he thinks as he looks at Varian out of the corner of his eye.

Varian was frozen. He did not seem to notice the cultists. He was trapped in his mind being swallowed by all the dark thoughts. Yong was staying close to Varian since he knew if he used his explosions in here, he could cause a cave in. He had some of Varian’s alchemy balls and a small dagger. 

“Yong keep protecting Varian. Hugo and I will save those kidnapped.” Nuru orders as Hugo tries to make a path through the cultists. After a few minutes one was made, unknowingly to the group Donella was helping. 

When Hugo threw one of his positions, Donella rolled one so the two would mix. She knew all the chemicals he kept and what they looked like. The result created a huge blinding light. The cultist got blind from being in it. The others closed their eyes or in Varian’s case his eyes were covered. 

Hugo and Nuru ran off looking for the people kidnapped. Donella followed them while Cyrus stayed behind to help protect Yong and Varian. It took a while, but they found several people tied up surrounded by guards. 

‘Okay maybe funding these guys was a bad idea. I am not the nicest person ever but even I draw a line at human sacrifices.’ Donella thinks as she helps knock out the guards. ‘I am so lucky Hugo is too distracted by Varian to notice that the effects his potions give are different. He must be thinking he grabbed the wrong one. Man, Varian really has changed him.’ she thinks as Hugo cut the ropes with his dagger and started to lead them to the exit. 

When they got to where Varian was, the cultists were all stuck in Varian’s sticking goo. Varian was still stuck in his mind, so Yong dug through Varian’s bag to grab them.  
“Good thinking Yong. We can let the locals know about this and they should be able to get these guys arrested by the royal guards. “Nuru explained as she and Hugo went over to the other two. Hugo was digging into his pocket and pulled something out. “What is that?” Nuru asked.

“These are some smelling salts. I found giving people a strong smell can wake them up. Chemicals are too dangerous on their own, so I made these. Hopefully Varian snaps back to his senses. I could not do it before with all the cultists attacking us and I figured once Varian is back to his senses then he will be panicking again so it was best to do this when we were done with everything. Varian is going to need some reassurance.” Hugo explained as he holds the smelling salts up to Varian’s nose.

A second later Varian snapped out of his mind “What is that?” he mumbled as he plugged up his nose. Hugo put the smelling salts away while Varian looked around. He was confused at first since he was trapped in his mind. Slowly, he remembered everything, and the others could see the panic come back. 

Before Varian could get any worse Hugo spoke up “Goggles. Hey eyes on me. Listen is it okay for me to touch you” he asked remembering him flinching when Nuru stepped closer to him. Varian snapped his eyes to Hugo. His mind was slow from the panic, so it took a minute before he shook his head. 

“That is okay. I will not touch you. Just listen to what I have to say. I know there's more to that story Varian. You did not wake up one morning and decided to kidnap the queen. The way you have been acting since Yong joined you has been constant. He has talked about the times it was just you two, so I know. You are not putting on an act of kindness, so you are not a horrible person. Something happened and while the action might still be bad, it is better than you just randomly deciding to do it like you were implying before. So, once we get back to the village, we are having a talk about what happened. I will also talk about my misdeeds” Hugo told Varian. He spoke clear and at a steady pace so Varian would understand. 

“Yeah. I am sorry if I caused you so much distress. I was just worried about you and Yong. I was already so suspicious of Hugo and was ready if he ended up hurting us. I was just so scared that I went back to what I learned and did not really think. I was so stuck on the fact he could hurt us that I said stuff I did not mean. I know people can change. Please forgive me. Through I do feel stupid that I never asked you for clarification of the rumors since you were from Corona. You never hid that.” Nuru stated as she looked at Varian. ‘He looks so broken right now. And I am the cause of this. Once Hugo explains about him working for Donella then I will say sorry to him. ‘she thinks.

“That is because he always left when you two started fighting. He always said he was off to do some alchemy. Now that I think about it, he only did that when you two were fighting about the rumor thing. I should have realized that. I am sorry for not being that much of a help to you Varian. “Yong looked down sadly  
Varian looked around at his friends then looked at Ruddiger who was on his lap. “You guys do not hate me” he slowly asked as he pets Ruddiger to get some comfort and to keep himself grounded. 

As soon as he asked that, the three all shouted no and tried to reassure him that they do not hate him. Varian listened to them say they did not hate them, and his eyes started to water. This time he was not crying out of sadness and fear but in relief. He felt like a weight was lifted from him as he reached out to Hugo. Ruddiger was happy that Varian was getting the help he needed. He moved onto Hugo knowing what his human.

Hugo sees this and wraps Varian into a hug. Varian buries his head into Hugo's chest as he cries while Hugo rubbed circles on his back. 

“It is okay Varian.” Hugo whispers to Varian. 

After everything, Varian was mentally exhausted and ended up falling asleep. The others were not surprised so Hugo picked Varian up. He was shocked at how light Varian was than remember that Varian was not eating as much as he used to. 

‘Man, this must have been affecting him badly. ‘Hugo thinks as the group heads back to the village. Nuru assured the villagers they saved that Varian was not physically hurt, just exhausted.  
When they made it back to the village, they explained what happened leaving out the parts where Varian had a breakdown.

“I am glad everyone is okay. The royal guard should be here by tomorrow” the village leader said as he gave the group their reward. It was some money and food.

“No problem. Give the royal guards this to get the cultist unstuck. “Yong gave the leader all of the equalizer that Varian’s bag had. He had used a lot of the sticking chemical. 

The group soon left the village and found a place for them to rest. The village had no inn for them, and they did not want to stay in someone else’s home. Plus given they were going to be talking about some heavy stuff once Varian woke up, it was best they were not overhead.

Yong and Nuru set up camp since Hugo had his arms full. Hugo ended up letting Varian rest in his lap as he watched the other two. It took the time of the camp being set up and the food being cooked for Varian to wake up. He ended up smelling the food and was slowly waking up.

“Looks like bookworm is waking up” Hugo says as he sees Varian’s eyes open as he sits up and out of Hugo's lap. He rubbed his eyes “Is this food I smell” he yawns as he wakes up. 

“Yes, it is. Looks like you are hungry which is good. Do you know how light you are? I was not expecting you to be heavy, but I had little problems carrying you. “Hugo said worriedly.

“Yeah. You need to eat more Varian. I know things have not been good for you with me and Hugo fighting but please take care of yourself.” Nuru states as she hands Varian some food.

Varian quickly ate all his food. ‘Did not notice how hungry I was’ he thinks as he watches the others eat. “I assume you guys want to talk now” he guessed as soon as they were done eating. The others nodded.

“Yes. I know it might be hard, but we would like to hear your side of the story. And I promise to be open minded about this. “Nuru promised as everyone looked at Varian.

Ruddiger went into Varian’s lap knowing that his human will need him. Varian was a little hesitant when he heard the word promise. He might have forgiven Rapunzel, but he still did not like that word. He knew that it did not guarantee anything, but he knew he had to tell his friends. After taking a few deep breaths and rubbing Ruddiger a few times, Varian started to tell his story.  
He told everything that happened from him first meeting Rapunzel to him finally getting forgiven. He even mentioned what he did to make the people of Corona forgive him. This did lead to some questions about Cassandra and what happened with her since there was no way for him to explain the red rocks without mentioning what Cassandra did. So, he ended up finishing with Cassandra leaving Corona to find herself and him being named Royal Engineer. It took a while since there were many parts where he started to cry again, and he ended up back in Hugo’s lap when he talked about Andrew. 

“And that is everything. All that is left, is I did my job for two years before finding my mom’s journal and I started this journey. “Varian finishes his story as he pets Ruddiger. The others had a look of shock on their faces. They had no idea that their friend had been through so much.

Not known to them, Donella and Cyrus were listening. ‘Ulla your son has been through so much. I do not know how he is still sane. Even Cyrus looks shocked and he usually does not show emotions while in the field. ‘Donella thinks.

“See I knew you had a reason. You were trying to save your dad. I will admit you did go too far but I can see your point of view. You felt like you had no other option. You were alone for so long, so you had no support system.” Hugo said as he ran his fingers through Varian’s hair. He started to do this when Varian talked about being kidnapped and he found it helped calm him down. 

“I am glad you realized your mistake. I am again sorry for what I said earlier” Nuru hung her head down.

“No need to apologize-” Varian started 

“Yes, I do need to apologize. A good ruler needs to be fair and keep calm. I was not being fair. Yes, Hugo was a double agent, but I should have realized that he outed himself in the dumbest way ever if he wanted to keep tricking us. Plus, you haven’t been eating and what happened in the cave. I should have noticed something sooner. I am surprised you have not been having nightmares” Nuru interrupted.

“Actually, I have been having nightmares. I have not been sleeping well at all, but I have this potion that makes dark circles disappear” Varian sheepishly admitted while rubbing his neck.  
“If you can safely get rid of those you will. If not give them to me and you will not be making any more of that. “Hugo demanded ‘Of course he made something like that. Should not be surprised by this’ he thinks as Varian nods knowing that there was no getting out of the demand. 

“Yeah. We need to know when you are not well. I am surprised you were able to hide it this long. You are normally really bad at lying” Yong pondered as he tilted his head. Nuru and Hugo nodded at this. They have both seen Varian lie and it rarely worked out. 

“You hate people worrying about you plus how dangerous alchemy means you grew to lie about how well you were. That is why you are good at lying about your wellbeing. “Hugo realized as Yong and Nuru looked at Varian. Varian had a sheepish look on his face and Ruddiger nodded his head from Varian’s lap.

“Okay. We will really have to make sure you are eating and sleeping well” Nuru shook her head. ‘I am really the team mom of the group’ she thinks.

“Well now that you are done telling your story, it is time for me to tell my story.” Hugo unconsciously brought Varian closer to him and continued to comb through his hair. It seems like it helped calm Hugo down as much as it did for Varian. 

Hugo told them everything starting from when he was young and alone to when he met Donella to him meeting Varian and Hugo. He went over every time he reported to either Donella or Cyrus about the progress the group made. Towards the end, he started to cry as he explained how he grew to care about the group and the happiness he felt. Varian squeezed his hand as he admitted to this group being the first one’s he felt completely safe with. They did not care if he made a mistake and they always had his back if a mistake he made got him in trouble. 

“I know that finding out I was once a double agent hurts the group. I understand that you guys might not trust me but please allow me to show you how much this group means to me. I cannot promise my attitude will completely change, but I am willing to do anything to make it up to the group” Hugo begged the group to forgive him.

“I do not know about Nuru and Yong, but I forgive you. Maybe if I found out when I was not breaking down from my past, my actions might have been different. It was the kindness of the princess that saved me. I was ready to be sent back to the prison, maybe at best I would not be executed since I saved Corona. Instead I was let free. Granted it was no easy road for the citizens of Corona to not see me as a threat, but I would not be here if Rapunzel never forgave me. That was why I was willing to give you a second chance when you stole the totem back when we first met. I have seen the many times you have saved someone here. I know you do not like showing your vulnerable side. So, I believe you” Varian assured Hugo.

“I am sorry for blaming you for things you did not have a part in. I was being stubborn like you said and did not think things through. Given everything that happened, it really does not make sense for you to have anything to do with the cult or for you to out yourself like that. I honestly cannot say I 100% trust you but I am willing to work with you so you can have all of my trust” Nuru offered as she went up to Hugo and held out her hand. Hugo smiled and shook it.

“I am like Nuru. I probably trust you more than her but still not 100%. Sorry Varian but I cannot be as forgiving as you” Yong apologized, feeling bad he could not be like Varian. 

“That is okay. I had the literal embodiment of the sun be my sister figure, so I picked up a few things from her. Also, Yong do not feel sad you are not exactly like me. I do not want you to be exactly like me and not just because I do not want you to make the same mistakes as I did. You are your own person, so you do not need to agree with me all the time. I am glad you see me as a mentor but please remember to be your own person. “Varian explained.

“This must have been hard on you as well Yong. Not only did you have to deal with our fighting but had to deal with seeing Varian scared so much from it” Nuru realized as she looked at Yong.  
“I wanted to talk to you two about it, but I did not know if you guys would listen to me. I know I am the youngest here and you guys protect me and confront me the most. I do not hate it. I really don’t but I want to help, protect and comfort you guys every once and awhile. It feels like I am just taking and not giving anything back. “Yong sadly admitted.

“Oh Yong. I am sorry I made you feel like that. “Varian got up from Hugo’s lap and went over to Yong and hugged him.

“But you have done so much for the group. You protected Varian today. You offer support with your explosions. Plus, you help keep us happy. Yes, you are the youngest of the group, but you help remind us to have fun occasionally. I remember when we found that lake a few weeks back, you suggested we play in the water. It was great” Hugo elaborated to help show what Yong did for the group.

“We are willing to listen to you more but remember you helped us a lot in the past. I act my age the most when I do fun things with you. I feel like I can let my role as a princess go for a few hours” Nuru smiled fondly at those memories.

“I really do that for the group” Yong wondered as he looked at everyone. Varian nodded and looked at Yong.

“Of course. Sometimes it is those like you who keep the whole group together. I suggest some fun things as well, but my fun is reading a new book, alchemy or going into a dangerous place because my curiosity got the better of me. You suggest fun things that everyone enjoys” Varian ruffled Yong’s hair. Yong cheered in happiness after hearing that. He was glad to know he was not useless in the group.

“Okay. Is there anything else anyone wants to talk about? We are getting a lot of heavy stuff off our chest right now so this would be a good time to do so” Hugo asked as he looks at everyone. He sees Varian bite his lip “Come on Varian speak up. What else is on your mind “he questioned. Varian looked up at the stars.

“You guys know I am here on this journey because of my mom. Do you think she would be proud of me? “Varian sighs as he sits down. The others knew he always wanted to make his dad proud, so they were not surprised by him asking this. They all gathered around Varian and sat next to him, looking up at the stars as well.

“I think she would be. Yeah you made mistakes, but you learned from them. Plus, you realized on your own which is not an easy task.” Hugo explained as he wrapped an arm around Varian.  
“I feel like she would have to be. You are an amazing person Varian. You have been through so much and you still want to help people. That is a strength many people hope to have” Nuru told him as she wrapped an arm around him as well.

“I do not see why she wouldn’t. Things were fine in the end. She might be sad you had to go through all of that, but she will still be proud” Yong exclaimed as he also wrapped an arm around Varian.

Varian looked at his friends and smiled. For the first time in a long time, he felt at peace with himself. He knew that his self-doubt will return and the nightmares. He always had them, but they were not as bad. But he knew that his friends had his back. Even Nuru who had every reason to hate and fear him. 

“How about we get some sleep. I am still tired from before and that second round of crying did not help. Think I only woke up because of the food” Varian yawned as the others agreed with him. They head back to their tents. Before Varian could walk into his tent, Hugo went up to him.

“If you have any nightmares, come to my tent. Or the other two’s tent if that is what you want. And this is open every night.” Hugo points at the other tents. 

“I will.” Varian nodded as he went into his tent. He went to sleep with a smile on his face.

Back with Donella and Cyrus who have been listening to everything, they both let out a deep breath after hearing everything.

“Man, Hugo sure knows how to pick his friends. Though I am glad they are still willing to be his friend” Cyrus quietly laughed as they walked away from the group to not be heard. Donella was deep in thought.

“We really need to stop those kids from getting those totems. I do not know how Ulla’s son will handle finding out the truth. That boy does not need to have anything more major happening to him” Donella explained ‘I knew Hugo would betray me one day. The way he talked about the group was different than all the other times he talked about missions. ‘she thinks as she looks back

“Hugo will be fine, boss. I know you will never admit it, but you care about him. And you care for Ulla’s son. I am willing to help” Cyrus told her ‘Through I think him finding out would be better. He needs to know the truth. From everything he said, he is a lot like Ulla, and she was always curious. Plus, I imagine this will end badly but I know Donella will not listen to me. She is stubborn, but she is my boss’ he thinks as they both patrol the area making sure no one attacked the group. They both were tired in the morning and Donella was complaining about how much trouble the kid was but deep down she was glad they did. 

Donella made sure all the cultists were arrested and that the cave was destroyed so no one could know what went down there.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed. Tell me what you think of my story. And again sorry for all the grammar mistakes.


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